


The Longest Ever Told

by Pyrasaur



Category: Pocket Monsters: Gold & Silver & Crystal | Pokemon Gold Silver Crystal Versions, Pokemon (gameverse)
Genre: F/M, Growing Up Together, Red String of Fate, Romantic Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-08
Updated: 2010-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 12:30:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1428607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrasaur/pseuds/Pyrasaur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was just some old piece of red string, good for playing with or wearing like a necklace. But Lyra and her first Pokemon always seemed to be tied up in it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Longest Ever Told

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a kinkmeme prompt: _Kotone/Lyra x whoever. It could be fluffy, smutty, whatever. Prompt?_
> 
>  
> 
> _Destiny Knot- A long, thin, bright red string to be held by a Pokemon. If the holder becomes infatuated, the foe does too._

     She didn't know what the string was supposed to be for. It was just a pretty shade of red, even though it was all knotted up and Lyra had to pick the knots out before she could play Meowth's cradle with it. In a way, it was her favourite toy, more than anything sleek and store-bought.

     And then she was ten, and she had a Pokemon -- a _real_ Pokemon -- and she was forging through all the grass she had avoided before. Totodile followed her. Totodile watched her with wide eyes and a wide, toothy grin. They camped out one night, together under the stars, and Lyra just knew they were meant to be partners; she tried to show Totodile how to play Meowth's cradle, and his fingers were stubby but he tried, he tried.

     They trained hard, and caught some new friends. Lyra and Totodile won a badge together, and trained some more, and camped out near murmuring rushes at night. They figured out a better game: tug-o'-war, something both of their bodies could do. She doubled the string up and made fists around one end, and Totodile clamped his jaws onto the other, and they pulled and made their best fighting faces. They weren't very good foes for each other. One of them always ended up laughing too hard to hold on.

     They won another badge. Lyra hugged Totodile after each and every battle -- as thanks, she supposed, but mostly just because she was whipped into an adrenaline-happy storm. He evolved after the tough battle with Whitney's Miltank. The sight carved itself into Lyra's memory, Totodile glowing bright and shifting into someone bigger and stouter, someone with a wider toothy grin. She hugged Croconaw and held tighter than usual. She was happier than ever, and he felt as rock-solid strong as Lyra knew he was.

     More walking, and more battling. They found a great spot to camp near Mount Mortar, on a clear night where the lakewater glittered. Amazing how much braver Lyra was now, walking around at night all by herself. It didn't feel like years since she left home. She started picking the knots out of her red string; Croconaw snapped playfully at it, and she tapped him just as playfully on the nose.  
     They couldn't play that game anymore, Lyra told him. Because they were going to break it if they kept this up, and it was special to her even if it was just some old chunk of string.  
     She thought Croconaw would give her huge, shining eyes and protest his name, but he just thought for a second. And then he curled up in her lap. Quietly, like a big scaly pet. It was a different sort of nice, being together like that, while the water whispered and Croconaw watched her nails pluck at the string.

     They stopped more crooks, and won more badges, and calmed more Pokemon into being their friends. Lyra wore out a few more pairs of shoes. Croconaw evolved again, suddenly, on a bright sunny day when the wild Gravellers seemed to be feeling feisty. Feraligatr was the most adorable thing Lyra had ever seen. He was huge. He shoved boulders around like nothing, he snapped and fought with muscles bunching under his tough hide. But his smile was still broad and toothy, and it struck Lyra every time. He was still that Totodile on the inside, still her destined friend and her tug-o'-war foe. She was so excited after they beat Claire, so helpless to contain her joy, that she leaped at Feraligatr instead of simply hugging him. He was still breathing hard, still trembling with effort, but his arms were strong and gentle all around her.

     She wasn't sure what to do afterward, even though she knew. She and Feraligatr trained more, and caught glimpses of mighty things disappearing though the forest. They needed to go face the Elite Four, if Lyra wanted to be Champion -- and she did -- but she felt so old all of a sudden and just wanted things to be simple. They spent a few days in the mountains, breathing in the fresh air that elderly people said was healthy. She left her hair down and let the breeze card through it.

     She sat by their campfire one night, and pulled out her string to poke at the fraying spots. She curled a bit closer to Feraligatr. Whatever this string was originally supposed to be, Lyra wondered to him, it was sort of like a good luck charm. All this time on their journey.  
     Feraligatr rumbled; he watched her fingers work, calm and still wide-eyed.  
     Well, Lyra said, getting to her feet, maybe it's a good luck item? Here. Feraligatr should try it out. She lifted the Mystic Water pendant from around his neck -- he nodded deep to help get it over his spines -- and she laid the string around him instead.  
     It took Lyra a few minutes to tie it right. Tight enough that things wouldn't snag on it, loose enough to be comfortable. Then she patted his hard, strong chest and looked at him, and smiled. It looked pretty good, actually. Bright red against his fish-fin colours. It brought out his eyes.  
     For a moment, strange and clear in the moonlight, Feraligatr looked back at her. And then he smiled, slower than ever before, and pulled Lyra close. They hugged, for no reason at all.

     This time, there were no beaten opponents watching. This time, Feraligatr sat back down and Lyra ended up in his lap, and she giggled soft and stayed there. She wondered if this was anything like when Pokemon eggs appeared -- because those were sudden, magic things, appearing out of nowhere like a gift.  
     She talked a bit about what she'd been thinking lately. Everything they'd trekked though. All the battles they had won, and all the battles they still had to win. Lyra murmured against his chest, listening to his earth-rumbling breathing more than her own voice, feeling her partner all around her. If she was honest with herself, she didn't really care about anything else but right now; she'd care about it later.  
     Feraligatr tucked his snout in against her neck, a scale-ragged nuzzle and a long gust of breath. Something new sparked down Lyra's back. She let out a sigh herself, and glowed inside, and ran her palms up his back.  
     They'd figure it out, she said. And she didn't trust anybody more than him.  
     Feraligatr gave a long, slow grumble of his name, the drawn-out sounds of thought. And he inhaled, like breathing in her scent, like gathering up his nerve. They had never been afraid of the road ahead, so everything came just as it was supposed to.

     She always remembered the texture of the string against his scales -- thin, turning to lint in its age, but strong. Battle after victorious battle, the knots never let go.

 


End file.
